Page 39 of A Montana Secret Admirer
They both knew that Tana didn’t mind it one bit. She was the easy-going sort of person who couldn’t be riled up even if her three sons were pitted against her.
Reese nodded. There was a slight crease between his brows—and it was the only indication that he was concerned about something.
Everything would be okay.
After the mystery was revealed, everything would just go back to normal.
At least that was what she’d be telling herself.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Reese didn’t knowwhat possessed him to show up at sunset for Serenity. Clearly, she was dealing with something that he couldn’t understand. They’d get close, then she’d pull away. It was a tug-o-war that he’d actually grown accustomed to.
And right now?
He was probably the last person she would want to see.
Yet here he was, wanting nothing more than to just bask in her presence.
Something had to be wrong with him.
He cleared his throat when she didn’t immediately catch sight of him.
Her whole body went stiff for a moment and only relaxed slightly when her eyes locked with his. She blew out a shaky, nervous breath. “Oh, hey.”
“Hey.”
That seemed to be the only thing they could say to one another lately. She’d turned him down for a date. He should just be happy that she’d promised him a raincheck.
Reese continued to stand there, his fist bumping against his thigh as he watched her take in the sunset before her. Should he invite himself to sit? Or would it be better if she asked him? He didn’t know what to do. The air had grown far too thick between them, and he had to do something about it, or he was going to lose his mind.
Clearing his throat, he lifted a hand to gesture to the step beside her, but she spoke first.
“You… do you want to… sit?”
Relief was like a cold splash of water on his otherwise heated skin. “Yeah, I’d… yeah,” he replied dumbly.
It took only four long strides to get to the steps leading up to his cousins’ house, and he settled on the bottom stair beside her. His thigh brushed against hers, and his body reacted to her much like it had every other time they were close. What he wouldn’t give to just take her hand and squeeze it so she knew just how much he cared about her.
She didn’t look at him. Not even out of the corner of her eye. Something was still bothering her, and he could tell simply by the way her spine remained ramrod straight.
Reese leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He hadn’t thought it was possible, but she went even more stiff. She glanced at him and rasped, “Talk about… what?”
Peering out at the sunset for the sole purpose of avoiding meeting her curious gaze, he blew out a breath. “I might not know you as well as your sister, but I can definitely tell that you’re anxious about something.”
“I’m not anxious.” She was too quick to respond.
He arched a brow, turning his head so he could look at her over his shoulder.
“I’m not,” she insisted with a sharp laugh.
“Well, you’re struggling with something. I know you better than you might think. And whatever it is, I can tell you it’s not good to keep it to yourself. I hope you’re talking to someone about it.” He prayed that it didn’t have anything to do with him. If he was the reason she was shutting down, he didn’t know what he was going to do.
“The boys want to go for a ride on a real trail,” she murmured.
Great. Avoidance. Did she really think that she could change the subject, and he’d just let her walk away from what he knew in his gut needed to be discussed?
